Madonna among The 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century

Madonna parmi les 25 Femmes les Plus Puissantes du Siècle Dernier.

The 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century
TIME surveys the women who have most influenced our world

Madonna (1958-Present)
By Michelle Castillo Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010

Every pop star of the last two to three decades has Madonna to thank in some part for his or her success. The triple threat who does it all — chart-topping singer, energetic dancer and all-around provocateur — left her home state of Michigan with $35 in her pocket and a dream to make it in New York City, and far exceeded that goal with hit singles like "Vogue," "Like a Virgin" and "Ray of Light." The one-named wonder's memorable music videos and live performances, which almost always include extravagant dance numbers, over-the-top outfits and eyebrow-raising concepts, made her one of MTV's most popular artists. After causing no shortage of controversy with her unabashed sexuality and outspokenness, Madonna has since turned some of her efforts toward being a mother and humanitarian — but not before cementing her place in pop culture as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century.

The 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century
Full List - Leading Ladies (in alphabetic order):
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Corazon Aquino (1933-2009)
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
Coco Chanel (1883-1971)
Julia Child (1912-2004)
Hillary Clinton (1947-Present)
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Aretha Franklin (1942-Present)
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)
Estée Lauder (1908-2004)
Madonna (1958-Present)
Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
Golda Meir (1898-1978)
Angela Merkel (1954-Present)
Sandra Day O'Connor (1930-Present)
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
Jiang Qing (1914-1991)
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
Margaret Sanger (1879-1966)
Gloria Steinem (1934-Present)
Martha Stewart (1941-Present)
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
Margaret Thatcher (1925-Present)
Oprah Winfrey (1954-Present)
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

Source: TIME.